Wide Open Spaces...in Florida?

I was telling my SIL, Katie, that if they came to visit us they would like it because we are staying at a park that is in the country this winter. She said she didn't know Florida had "country". So last week, while driving over to Avon Park, I decided to grab some pictures for her. As we were driving, Austin and I talked about how so many people truly don't know there are rural areas in Florida so I decided to share them here too.



There are many places where there is undeveloped land.



There are many places where there are farms.











And I'll be honest, it is some of my favorite land to travel in Florida. It is not maybe the prettiest view. But it is peaceful. Excuse the blurriness, because Austin was driving and he doesn't slow down for me like Nathan does. Something about other people on the road and him not wanting to look lame and all.



And here's another shot of the double rainbow we saw. This time with the "real" camera vs the cell phone camera.



I will try to get more shots when I have an agreeable driver escorting me. In the meantime, enjoy some of Florida that does not look like Ft Lauderdale, Daytona or the Magic Kingdom!

The Virtues of Versatility

For a couple of months now I've been riding only one bicycle for transportation instead of switching between several, and I've got to say that I like it. Not only that, but I am realising that strictly speaking, the others I own are not really necessary, as this one is sufficiently versatile to do everything I need. I've never felt this way toward another transport bicycle before, which is why I've always had multiples: at the very least one IGH bike for local errands and winter cycling, and a lighter, derailleur-geared bike for long distance trips with hills. But now that division of labor is no longer neeeded.

The bicycle I am riding is a modified Bella Ciao Donna that Ifinally have all to myself againafter it served as a guinea pig for a project I was working on. It is not perfect at everything. My other transport bike is a vintage Gazelle and it's a cushier, more luxurious ride with greater carrying capacity. I also have a Royal H mixte that is faster, lighter weight, easier uphill, and equipped with better lighting. But the Gazelle cannot be ridden long distances efficiently. And the mixte cannot be ridden in the winter, plus the frame can be a pain to mount and dismount in some outfits. Neither of the two would work as an "only bike." But the Bella Ciao can handle long distances, does a decent job of tackling hills, is suitable for winter, and accommodates any outfit.The 3-speed drivetrain keeps things simple. The powdercoat and chaincase keep it maintenance-free. The handling has a distinctly vintage feel that is not for everyone, but works well for me.Sure I've wished for more cush over potholes, more cargo capacity and more gears while riding this bike. But I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened over the past two months.

Versatility is not an exciting characteristic, because it implies compromise. "Jack of all trades, master of none" sort of thing. But I guess for transportation cycling I am finding that the jack of all trades is winning me over - at least for the time being. More than anything, I think the trick is finding that sweet spot of a bike - what one person considers versatile may not be sufficiently versatile for another. But if you do find one that does it for you, it can be such a relief!Getting around on the same bike regardless of destination has simplified my life considerably, giving me a new appreciation for versatility.

Castle Rock

Castle Rock in September Sun, originally uploaded by ParsecTraveller.

Castle Rock in Mt. Diablo State Park. This huge rock formation dominates the view along trails in the area.

Mt. Diablo is an incredible wilderness oasis in the heavily-populated San Francisco Bay Area. There are several endemic plant species found on the mountain, as well as rare animals. Mt. Diablo is a jewel of a park, and worth stopping by if you're in the area.

Evening in Cathedral Valley

After yesterday's hikes it was nice to relax in the truck for a while and enjoy a little road time between Natural Bridges and Capitol Reef. Speaking of which, the drive between those two parks has some of the most incredibly scenery to be found anywhere! It is also a very desolate road with almost no development. We arrived in Capitol Reef National Park during the early evening hours and were hoping to camp at the park's campground, unfortunately it was FULL. So, we headed into the nearby town of Torrey hoping to find a nice private campground. We certainly did find a nice place! We actually ended up renting a small camper cabin at a private campground on the west end of town. The cabin was warm and cozy, there was a shower building AND the cabin had wi-fi! We were in heaven :-)





































This morning we had a nice breakfast at the cabin then headed out to explore Capitol Reef National Park. We did a hike through the Grand Wash, which was really cool but also overloaded with people, being that it wasn't that far from the visitor center. After that hike we couldn't wait to get into the backcountry of the park, which was our plan for the rest of the day and the next morning. Earlier on in the trip we had decided that we wanted to see Cathedral Valley, which is a very remote part of Capitol Reef that is in the northern part of the park. There are 3 different ways to reach the valley; we went in from the southeast direction via the Caineville Wash Road. The road, like many in southern Utah, varies between a base of gravel, clay and sand. It was actually in very good shape and we had no trouble at all passing through. It is still a very remote area, though, and we only saw 3 or 4 other vehicles during our time in this part of the park.





































The first area of the valley that we came to was Lower Cathedral Valley, which is famous for its two massive sandstone monoliths known as the Temples of the Sun and Moon. These monoliths are incredible... they are sobig that you feel truly insignificant when standing alongside them. We walked around the temples and photographed them from various angles then continued on the road to Upper Cathedral Valley. We were, of course, hoping for a magnificent sunset but it was not to be. Clouds moved in and made our evening light rather flat. We drove up to the backcountry campground and set up our camp then returned to the valley to spend more time taking in the wonders of the cathedrals. The sandstone here is endlessly intriguing. The lines and patterns in the cliffs surrounding the valley made for some pretty interesting photographs. As the light faded we made our way back to camp where we enjoyed a very calm and peacefulevening. There was only one other party staying at the 6-site campground that night and we didn't hear a peep from them all night. We crawled into our sleeping bags glowing from the excitement of another amazing day of adventure in the southwest, but also a little sad knowing that tomorrow we have to head home :-(

The Gift

Twinki was more than willing to unwrap the gift but it was Cassi that preferred to play with the toy mouse.

Glacier National Park

It was mid-morning on Monday (July 26th) when I arrived at Glacier National Park. Since I didn't have reservations, the first order of business was to find an open campsite! Rather than stay at Apgar on the west side I decided to take a chance on Avalanche Campground, which is just before where the Going to the Sun Highway starts its climb to Logan Pass. Luck was with me once again and I got one of the last five sites still available!

Lake McDonald on the west side of Glacier National Park. It was a hazy day with mist rising from the lake. This is from about half-way down the lake looking to the northeast, before you get to Avalanche Campground.

About four years ago Glacier National Park began running shuttle buses on the Going to the Sun Road. They aren't mandatory, but enough people use them to take some of the stress off of the parking areas, which are limited. In fact, the shuttles that I road were filled to capacity with people waiting for the next one. The do run frequently but with construction on the “Sun” road, the schedules are all out of whack.

As soon as I got settled into my campsite, I walked to the shuttle stop and took it to Logan Pass where there is a Visitor Center and trails. The trail I took that afternoon was to Hidden Lake. It is 1.5 miles to the overlook along boardwalk and snow...

Note to Steve: Our shoes are made for walking, but not for walking in icy snow! I was slip-sliding all the way...

The view to the northeast. Part of the Going to the Sun road is visible in the center of the picture.

This is looking to the southeast.

There were several small groups of Mountain Goats that frequented the trail area. They didn't seem to be afraid of people.

The destination: Hidden Lake, looking south.

Bearhat Mountain towers over Hidden Lake and environs.

A bit of Hidden Lake and Bearhat Mountain on the left. Lake McDonald in visible in the distance in the center of the photograph. The trail from the overlook continues another 1.5 miles to the lake shore. Due to time constraints (having to catch the last shuttle back to the campground) I didn't go all the way down.

The snow-covered trail on the way back to the Visitors Center.

Drop Bar Hand Positions: an Introduction

Riding a roadbike does not come naturally to everyone, and one particular source of frustration is the drop handlebars. I was frustrated by them too when I first started, and so I hope this illustrated introduction might be of some help. To preface, a couple of things to keep in mind: First, drop bars vary in shape. This post assumes that your bike is fitted with theflat ramp style of bars prevalent today - either the compact type found on most stock road/racing bikes, or the more classic style popular with the twine and shellack crowd (i.e. the Nitto Noodle, Grand Bois Maes, Velo Orange Course). I am also assuming that you are using contemporary"aero" style brake levers, with the brake cables hidden.Note that if you are dealing with a 1970s-80s roadbike (i.e. something like this), the shape of the original handlebars and brake levers will make some of the positions described here impossible. Not everyone agrees on which hand positions are best to use at which times, or even on what the positions are called. This write-up reflects my non-expert personal experiences, informed by local mentours.



Whether you are racing, touring or going on a leisurely ride, what makes drop handlebars special is the variety of hand positions they offer. I consider there to be 5 distinct positions available: The hoods, the hooks, the drops, the tops, and the ramps. Read on for a description of each.






1. The Hoods

The "hoods" position refers to keeping your hands on top of the rubbery brake hoods, wrapped around them firmly. I think it is fair to say that today this is widely considered to be the standard, neutral position for riding with drop bars.When done correctly, it is extremely ergonomic, distributes the cyclist's weight nicely, and affords optimal leverage for cycling at different speeds. It is also a position from which the brake levers are easily accessible. Some cyclists report that the hoods make them lean forward too much. If this is the case, consider changing your handlebar setup - perhaps raising the bars, getting a shorter stem, or getting compact handlebars (with less distance between stem and hoods). On a properly fitted bike the hoods should feel easy and natural to reach.





There is a number of ways to hold your hands on the hoods, and this is how I usually do it. The main thing is to actually grip them and not just rest you hands upon them.






There are also different ways to brake from the hoods, and this is how I prefer to do it. Squeezing the brake lever with only two fingers while leaving the rest wrapped around the bars/hoods themselves ensures that my hands won't fly off the handlebars if I go over a bump.




For those accustomed to upright handlebars, the hoods position on a drop bar bike can feel awkward and disconcerting at first and can require some practice to use comfortably. It took me a couple of weeks before I really "got" the hoods, but once I did it's been true love. It's the position I use the most no matter what kind of riding I do. And if you are planning to take part in formal paceline training rides, chances are they will expect you to use the hoods as the standard position - and may even insist that you do so.






2. The Hooks

While often the position shown here is referred to as the "drops," there are actually two distinct drops positions. To differentiate between them, this one is more specifically known as "the hooks." It involves holding on to the parts of the bars that curve outward, with the cyclist's hands directly behind the brake levers. It is a more aggressive and aerodynamic position that the hoods, which makes it especially useful when cycling downhill and attempting to fight wind/air resistance.






The brake levers should be easily reachable from the hooks position. Braking in this manner is more powerful than from the hoods, because it affords greater leverage. It is important to be aware of this, so as not to accidentally slam the brakes when riding at high speeds.





3. The Drops


To differentiate from the hooks, this is what I will call the "true drops" position. To what extent the two positions are distinct really depends on the style of handlebars used. On some types of contemporary drop bars, the curvature here is so dramatic that the positions are very different - the true drops being parallel to the ground and the hooks perpendicular. On other drop bars the curve is less defined and it's hard to tell where the hooks end and the drops begin. Either way, the crucial distinction for me is that you can reach the brakes from the hooks, but not from this lower section of the drops.




Both the hooks and the lower drops positions are quite aggressive, and for beginners the crouching posture they put you in can feel scary. While at this stage I am more or less fine riding in these positions, even now I am still not as confident as I could be. Riding downhill in close proximity to others, I sometimes chicken out and stay on the hoods, simply bending my elbows a whole lot to get myself low enough over the bars. In a pinch, that tactic will do - but mastering the hooks and drops is ultimately worth it and I continue to work on it.







4. The Tops

And now, the dreaded tops of the bars... My personal opinion is that the "tops" are bad news for beginners and are to be avoided until after you pick up some road cycling skills. Let me explain: Beginners who cannot use drop bars properly tend to hold their hands on the tops, because this reminds them of mountain bike handlebars and allows them to stay more upright than any of the other positions do. It feels safer. However, this is deeply problematic. First, you cannot reach the brakes from the tops. And if you are too scared to use the other positions, will you really be able to brake quickly and effectively when the situation calls for it? Probably not. Furthermore, drop bars are narrower than mountain bike handlebars, and holding the tops places the rider's hands too close to the stem - not the best position for controlling the bike. Nearly every time I see a beginner on a roadbike lose control of their bicycle, they are holding the tops.






That said, the tops do have their function. Some find this position helpful for climbing, as it opens up the chest and facilitates deep breathing. Also, when doing a long ride it's great to simply have it as yet another position for your restless hands. Personally, I almost never use the tops even in these circumstances, because my hands are uncomfortable. But not everyone has this issue.






5. The Ramps

Finally, there is the rather difficult-to-photograph position called the "ramps," and I have also heard it referred to as the "shoulders." Located between the hoods and the tops, it involves holding the corners of the top portion of the handlebars. In this position the rider is more upright than on the hoods, while maintaining more control of the bike and a more ergonomic wrist position than they would on the tops. I hold my hands in this manner mostly on long rides, for short stretches at a time, when I want to do something different or be more upright for a bit.






All these new positions can certainly be overwhelming. As far as a starting point, I suggest learning to use the hoods well first, then transitioning to learning the hooks/drops. If the pictures here are not enough to help you understand the positions and the braking, ask an experienced cyclist to show you in person and imitate them. I did this some time ago, and it was more helpful than any online tutorial I could have read.And for those riding vintage bikes with handlebars like these and having trouble using them, consider updating the bar setup. You cannot use the hoods with that style of handlebars and levers, and I wish someone told me that when I first struggled with vintage roadbikes 3 years ago.




While drop handlebars are easy and intuitive for some, for others it takes practice to get comfortable with the different positions. My suggestion is to not be intimidated and just keep practicing. If you ask me, it's worth it.